November 5, 2011
Hours after winning a crucial confidence vote that makes it more likely Greece will receive the foreign aid it needs to prevent default on its debts, the country’s leaders appeared to be enmeshed once again in the type of domestic political wrangling that threw Europe and its markets into turmoil last week.
Prime Minister George Papandreou took the first steps Saturday to try to form a unity government with the opposition, a move he said was necessary to steer the country out of danger. But by late afternoon, the two sides seemed stuck in position, with the prime minister making no promises to leave power — a key demand of the opposition — and the top opposition leader reiterating his call for early elections and branding Mr. Papandreou “dangerous for the country.”
It was impossible to determine whether the two sides were merely maneuvering ahead of a deal, trying to win the maximum concessions, or were headed for just the type of poisonous stalemate Europe has been dreading. In either case, the clash appeared to ensure more political uncertainty in the coming days, at a time when Europe can least afford it.
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